Gray sky
A pokémorph's story
Chapter Three: The Chance
I jumped back, sharp claws extended, my tail going up as I bared fangs, as well. This whole instinct thing that continued to take over my mind was really annoying. A small piece in my mind hated it a lot.
I looked at the girl I had walked in to. I thought everyone was asleep! How the hell did she manage to stay awake and know about my intrusion? Finally, I paid attention to the expression on her face. I'd never seen an expression like that― one that was a sort of, 'What the hell?' mixed with, 'Oh my God.' Something like that…
I figured she was a no-good human just like the Magma back at my old home, but that's where I realized I was wrong― she was nothing quite like I imagined. A smile spread across her face, and she knelt down to my level. "Hi there, little boy. Are you lost? How'd you get in here, hm?" She asked, and I just stared.
I silently came closer. She seemed friendly, and that was something my mind commonly accepted. As I came closer, she put her hand out, and I immediately withdrew. She waited, and I came close again. She wasn't going to grab or choke me or anything, so I figured it was okay. She scratched my head, and got me on my golden spot—right behind the ears. "My name's Flannery," She told me, "what's yours, little guy?" I blinked at first, and then answered her question. "My name is Yamato." I told her, unnoticing of my slow-wagging tail that became more rapid as she scratched my head.
"It's nice to meet you, Yamato. " She told me, then asked me something else, "You wouldn't happen to be one of those rumored escapee experiments from the Magma hideout, are you?" You bet I was surprised enough. Did this mean she was with the Magma, and ready to take me back? Nope. I was wrong, yet again. I simply nodded, a bit too nervous to use my voice. How did she know about that, anyways? She smiled at me again and went on.
"I just got back from hearing about a bunch of pokémon like you. They said if you're not returned to the Magma, they might cause us harm. But I'm not afraid of Team Magma. I'll keep you safe with me. Okay?" Flannery said to me, and I felt myself pretty darn happy. So I had a chance at life after all!
So maybe living in Flannery's Gym for four years wasn't something I was expecting, but it happened. While I was there, all the most amazing things happened. I learned so much about how the human world worked, and how I should be careful because I was something a lot of humans couldn't comprehend— and what humans didn't understand, they feared. Or, so I was told, at least. And I finally found out what the Gym was for!
Nearly everyday, humans came into this Gym place and challenged Flannery with their pokémon. If they won, they were given a badge. There are supposedly eight badges all over Hoenn, and trainers try to get them all. Why, however… I couldn't quite understand.
Flannery really did teach me a lot, and helped me get stronger. Flannery learned a lot about me, as well. Apparently, I was more pokémon than human, and pretty much, I was ninety-nine percent pokémon, one percent human. That meant that the human in was only the part that made me intelligent, able to communicate in the human language, and appear part human. Aside those three aspects, I was like any other ordinary pokémon. But that wasn't even the best part. I could learn pokémon attacks.
Flannery was like my own trainer but really wasn't; she was more like someone who helped me make it through tough training. She helped me working on learning my own attacks—I had learned Tackle, the lethal full-body charge, Howl, the eerie call to raise my attack and spirit, and Bite, the lethal use of my sharp teeth. I practiced a lot of fighting tactics and such with Flannery's Torkoal, who soon became my one of my favorite friends. After I learned what I figured what was all I needed to learn, I had spent the rest of my time in the Gym roaming about, watching a lot of the fights against Flannery, day by day. But then came one fatal day where it ended.
I had climbed up to the top supporting beams of the Gym, staring out one of the high windows curiously. It was a quiet morning, and only three trainers had stopped by so far, when the average at this hour was seven or eight. I glanced below into the fog and sighed as I jumped below, keeping to the walls as I made it to Flannery's alter. I realized something was wrong. Flannery wasn't there. Alert that something was wrong; I looked around, unable to find her. Giving up on the search, I figured she must have gone outside the Gym for some reason.
Leaning on a wall, my tail flicking back and forth as I waited, I was alerted as the Gym doors opened, and Flannery came running in. The look on her face told me it was urgent, and I was ready to listen. "Yamato, you have to run!" She told me, and soon the doors opened again. I glanced to see who it was. The Magma. And they were here for no one else but me.
There were four of them, and I knew I wouldn't fight. In fighting, being outnumbered was my weakness. I took off running and went for the emergency exit, the Magma after me. "It's one of them! Catch him!" One of them yelled, as they all tried to catch up. I glanced back, catching sight of Flannery releasing all of her pokémon, keeping the Magma busy while I made my run for it. My chances of escape were good now.
As soon as I was out the back door, the morning light nearly blinded me, and I realized there were a lot more Magma lingering outside and searching. Luckily, none of the outdoor squad caught sight of me, so I managed to run the fastest I could and make it out of Lavaridge. I lingered in the trees just outside of Lavaridge, wanting to return back to the Gym, where Flannery was, where I felt much safer. But I couldn't— the Magma was there.
It was almost until night until the Magma left, but that wasn't before they ruined my hopes of returning to my home. I stood on the outer edge of the crater Lavaridge lied in, and stared at the Gym, which was up in flames. The entire building was burning, and the locals struggled to stop the fire— but it was useless. So there I stood, illuminated by the warm orange glow of the fire as darkness took over the sky. I looked at Flannery below, who was in the neighboring home with her pokémon, watching the fire burn.
I slowly turned my back, and then looked at the world that lay before me. It seemed to go on forever, and it probably did for as far as I knew. I left Lavaridge, and began to wander the forest, in search of the next town. Flannery told me that if anything ever happened… any Gym leader would be a friend to me. But I didn't need them. I was on my own, and I would find my place in this world alone.
Notes from the Author:
Ah, not too much notes really. Just that, uh… This chapter took me longer than it should have, due to a lot of distractions. And no, if you were paying attention, Flannery isn't dead. > Stop thinking that. Onto the next chapter! Huzzah.
